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'We wanted to win it' - Arteta refuses to see Europa League exit as blessing in disguise

talksport.com, 17 March 2023, 10:39
Mikel Arteta is refusing to see Arsenal's Europa League exit as a blessing in disguise as he looks to end the club's 19-year wait for a league title.

The Gunners crashed out of Europe's second-tier competition on Thursday night after losing on penalties against Sporting Lisbon.

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Arsenal took the lead in both legs against their Portuguese opponents, and looked to be heading into the quarter-finals after Granit Xhaka broke the deadlock at the Emirates Stadium.

But the visitors equalised through Pedro Goncalves' audacious halfway line chip which sparked shades of Nayim's 45-yard lob against Arsenal in Real Zaragoza's 1995 European Cup Winners' Cup final victory.

The second leg stayed at 1-1 as the game went to spot-kicks, with Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli missing the crucial effort from 12 yards out.

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Attention will now turn to Arsenal's Premier League clash against managerless Crystal Palace on Sunday, where they can extend their lead over second-placed Manchester City to eight points.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Arteta was asked whether Arsenal's Europa exit was a blessing in disguise as the club can focus primarily on their title tilt.

To which he said: "I cannot see it that way today.

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"I don't know, if you go through the competition and win it, it's magnificent, if it's not, then it affects your plans in the league, that's a different story.

"We wanted to go through and we put everything into it.

"The effort the boys put when it wasn't our best day, individually and collectively, the hunger and the desire they showed to win, the way they were tracking back was incredible.

"They really wanted it and today it didn't happen.

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"We need to put our heads up, look towards Crystal Palace, it's 11 games left, the first one starts on Sunday."

He continued: "We gave everything. It wasn't our day, we weren't at our best individually and collectively.

"But they absolutely gave every drop of effort that they could on that pitch, but it wasn't enough.

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"But if we do things better on Sunday than what we've done today, we'll have a big chance to win the game."

Arsenal have now failed to win any of their last five Europa League knockout ties at the Emirates.

Arteta will be hoping their days of playing in the Europa League are over with Arsenal set to return to the Champions League next season for the first time since 2017.

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